Dutch Oven Tips and Recipes 

PREPARATION OF YOUR DUTCH OVEN

(Source: http://www.usscouts.org/cooking/cook_05.html#5)

For aluminum, your pretreatment is simply washing well with soap and water. Some aluminum ovens are shipped with a protective coating and a simple washing will remove it. Since aluminum doesn't rust, no further protection is required, however, I have found that if you treat the aluminum like the cast iron oven, food will not stick near as often as the untreated oven. This pretreatment is at the user's option, so if you just want to wash it and be done with it, you can.

Cast iron ovens, if properly cared for, will last many a generation. I know several individuals that have dutch ovens

belonging to great-great- grandmothers, dating back well into the 1800s. Personally, I have an oven that belonged to my grandmother and dates back before the turn of the century.

Although this book is oriented toward dutch ovens, the treatment and care instructions are applicable to any cast iron skillet, griddle etc.. The secret of cast iron's long life is really no secret at all. Constant and proper care beginning with the day it is purchased will keep the oven in service for many years. All quality ovens are shipped with a protective coating that must be removed. This will require a good scrubbing with steel wool and some elbow grease. Once removed, the oven needs to be rinsed well, towel dried and let air dry. While it is drying, this would be a good time to pre-heat your kitchen oven to 350. After it appears dry, place the dutch oven on the center rack with it's lid ajar.

Allow the dutch oven to warm slowly so it is just barely too hot to handle with bare hands. This pre-heating does two things, it drives any remaining moisture out of the metal and opens the pores of the metal.

Now, using a clean rag or preferably a paper towel, apply a thin layer of saltfree cooking oil. Oils such as peanut, olive or plain vegetable oil will be fine. Tallow or lard will do also but these animal fats tend to break down during the storage periods that typical Scout dutch ovens experience between campouts and are not recommended. Make sure the oil covers every inch of the oven, inside and out and replace the oven onto the center shelf, again with the lid ajar. Bake it for about an hour or so at 350. This baking hardens the oil into a protective coating over the metal

After baking, allow the oven to cool slowly. When it is cool enough to be handled, apply another thin coating of oil. Repeat the baking and cooling process. Again reapply a thin coating of oil when it can be handled again. Allow the oven to cool completely now. It should have three layers of oil, two baked on and one applied when it was warm. The oven is now ready to use or store.

This pre-treatment procedure only needs to be done once, unless rust forms or the coating is damaged in storage or use. This baked on coating will darken and eventually turn black with age. This darkening is a sign of a well kept oven and of it's use. The pre-treatment coating's purpose is two fold, first and most important, it forms a barrier between moisture in the air and the surface of the metal. This effectively prevents the metal from rusting. The second purpose is to provide a non-stick coating on the inside of the oven. When properly maintained, this coating is as non-stick as most of the commercially applied coatings.

CLEANING YOUR DUTCH OVEN

(Source: http://www.usscouts.org/cooking/cook_05.html#6)

For aluminum ovens, the cleaning is the same as for ordinary pots and pans. Use soap, water and scrub as usual for your other pans. More often than not, cleaning cast iron ovens is much easier than scrubbing pots and pans. For cast iron ovens, the clean process is in two steps. First, food is removed and second, maintenance of the coating. To remove stuck on food, place some warm clean water into the oven and heat until almost boiling. Using a plastic mesh scrubber or coarse sponge and NO SOAP, gently break loose the food and wipe away. After all traces have been removed, rinse with clean warm water. Soap is not recommended because its flavor will get into the pores of the metal and will taint the flavor of your next meal.

After cleaning and rinsing, allow it to air dry. Heat over the fire just until it hot to the touch. Apply a thin coating of oil to the inside of the oven and the underside of the lid. Allow the oven to cool completely. The outside will need little attention other than a good wipe down unless you see signs of rust forming. As a suggestion, it is a good idea to keep a scrubber for cast iron and never use it with soap. 

A FEW NO NOs

(Source: http://www.usscouts.org/cooking/cook_05.html#7)

• Never, and I repeat, NEVER allow cast iron to sit in water or allow water to stand in or on it. It will rust despite a good coating. 
• Never use soap on cast iron. The soap will get into the pores of the metal and won't come out very easy, but will return to taint your next meal, though. If soap is used accidentally, the oven should be put through the pre- treatment procedure, including removal of the present coating. 
• Do not place an empty cast iron pan or oven over a hot fire. Aluminum and many other metals can tolerate it better but cast iron will crack or warp, ruining it. 
• Do not get in a hurry to heat cast iron, you will end up with burnt food or a damaged oven or pan. 
• Never put cold liquid into a very hot cast iron pan or oven. They will crack on the spot! 

TIPS ON COOKING TECHNIQUES

(Source: http://www.usscouts.org/cooking/cook_05.html#8)

ROASTING: The heat source should come from the top and bottom equally. Coals should be placed under the oven and on the lid at a 1 to 1 ratio.

BAKING: Usually done with more heat from the top than from the bottom. Coals should be placed under the oven and on the lid at a 1 to 3 ratio, having more on the lid.

FRYING, BOILING ETC: All of the heat should come from the bottom. Coals will be placed under the oven only.

STEWING, SIMMERING: Almost all heat will be from the bottom. Place the coals under and on the oven at a 4 to 1 ratio with more underneath than on the lid.

THE LID!: The lid can be placed on the fire or stove upside down and used as a skillet or griddle. Using the lid in this fashion, you can make virtually error free pancakes and eggs that don't run all over. This is because most lids are shaped like a very shallow bowl so things naturally stay in the center, even if the lid is not level! 

REGULATING TEMPERATURES

(Source: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/9385/dutch.html)

• Average for 12” oven = 15 on top, 9 on bottom
• Generally 1/3 on top and 2/3 below
• Briquettes are different - Kingsford = approx. 25 degrees per coal
• Need to add more in cold or windy weather
• When baking, generally remove from bottom heat about 2/3 way through cooking time to prevent burning food

RECIPES

(Source: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/9385/dutch.html)

Dutch Oven Pizza

• 1 pkg refrigerated pizza dough
• 1 small container squeeze pizza sauce
• 2 cups shredded pizza cheese
• Pizza toppings as desired

Spread pizza crust in bottom of well seasoned Dutch oven. Squeeze pizza sauce over the top or dough and spread. Cover with cheese and toppings as desired. Cover and cook with 8 coals below and 16 coals on top for about 10 minutes.

Dutch Oven Brownies

• 1 package Brownie mix for 8x8 pan
• eggs per package directions

Prepare Brownie mix per package directions. Place in bottom of Dutch oven (or in round aluminum baking pan in oven). Cover and cook with 8 coals below and 16 coals on top for 20-30 minutes (do not overbake). Remove from bottom coals after 15 minutes.

LINKS TO MORE DUTCH OVEN RECIPES: 

http://www.macscouter.com/Cooking/DutchOven.html#RecipeIndex  TONS of simple recipes.  Easy to follow instructions. 

http://www.elroynet.com/troop88/dutchoven.html#Beef   Beef is just the beginning of this page full of great, simple recipes for camping. 

http://www.idos.com/Recipes/archives/recarc.htm  TONS of recipes.  Cooking instructions include number of coals to use. 

http://www.usscouts.org/cooking/cook_05.html  Lots of easy recipes. 

http://papadutch.home.comcast.net/dutch-oven-recipes.htm  TONS of recipes, simple to complicated and everything in between.  Cooking instructions include number of coals to use.

http://camping.about.com/library/recipes/blrcdutchoven.htm  22 recipes to choose from.  Cooking instructions include number of coals to use.   

http://www.justdutchovenrecipes.com/index.shtml  Many recipes.  Cooking directions are complicated on some.